The Value of Trust
by AliasCWN
Summary: Moffitt meets an old friend and officer with a problem.
1. Chapter 1

**The Value of Trust**

By: AliasCWN

Chapter 1

The trucks were scattered along a trail nearly a mile long before they found the final battle site. Both jeeps circled the burning vehicles slowly, looking for signs of life. All the bodies they found were lifeless, not a survivor to be found. The drivers pulled the jeeps up next to each other and stopped to let the sergeants talk.

"There aren't nearly enough bodies here to account for the men that were reported to be on this convoy." Jack Moffitt looked at the list in his hand and counted the names.

"It looks like they took prisoners." Sam Troy remarked as he studied the tracks leaving the scene. "There are three trucks missing, along with the extra men."

"They could have fit the missing men into just two trucks. Why did they need three?" Moffitt puzzled over the extra truck, wondering what they had missed.

"Maybe they put wounded in the third truck Sarge." Hitch suggested, popping a bubble and looking around at the wreckage from the battle.

"It's possible." Troy conceded, eying the list. "How many men were on the convoy?"

"Fifty-five." Moffitt answered. "Ten trucks, two drivers each, and thirty-five replacements headed for various units."

"All right, let's check the dog tags and see who is missing. Once we radio the Major and let him know what we found, we'll follow the tracks and see if we can find the missing men."

"The wind is gonna blow those tracks away long before we get done here Sarge." Tully called from his seat in his jeep.

Troy sighed, realizing that Tully was right. "All right, Hitch and I will finish up here; Moffitt, you and Tully follow the tracks and see if you can spot those missing men. Be careful."

Tully nodded solemnly, watching Moffitt hand the list to Troy.

"Let's go Tully." Settling himself into the passenger seat, Moffitt pulled his goggles down over his eyes against the dust.

Troy and Hitch watched them go before they turned to the task of identifying the dead. They were finished and putting the last of the bodies into the rear of a truck when Tully and Moffitt returned. Troy wiped the sweat from his forehead and walked out to meet the approaching jeep.

Tully pulled up next to the sergeant and shut off his engine. Troy nodded at him before turning to Moffitt.

"Well?"

"We found them Troy. They are at a German base about thirty-five miles from here. They have the prisoners confined to an area surrounded by barbed wire. There are quite a few guards and they look ready for us." The Brit warned.

Troy glanced toward the trucks where Hitch was closing the tailgate. The blond let the flap fall back into place as he hurried to get away from the coppery smell of blood and the rank odor of decomposing bodies.

"The Major wants us to bring the bodies back to the base."

"What about the prisoners?"

"You said they're ready for us?" Troy waited for Moffitt to nod. "Okay, we take the dead back to be buried or sent home, whatever the Major decides to do with them. Maybe by the time we get back they'll have decided we aren't coming and they'll relax."

"You're the boss." Moffitt agreed with a tired smile. "Even if they move them, we know where the processing center is located."

Troy grinned. "Yeah, and I vote that someday we go there, hit them hard, and free all the prisoners."

"They have a lot of troops at that base Troy." Moffitt cautioned, not sure if Troy was really serious.

"They all have to sleep sometime." Troy grinned again. "The rest we could handle." He continued confidently.

"Shall we wait for orders before we go that far?"

Troy shrugged. "It was just an idea. Maybe I can sell it to the Major after this mission."

"I doubt it." Moffitt sighed. "He seems like the type who wouldn't do anything without orders from above."

"Well, if we aren't going to go raid the processing center, or rescue the prisoners, we need to get these bodies back to the base. They aren't keeping well in this heat." Troy turned to look toward the truck. "I think I'll let Hitch drive the truck." Troy turned to Moffitt with a grin on his face. "He's been getting a little mouthy lately."

"You ask for it Troy, you did tell him to speak up if he had a problem." Moffitt retorted.

"Yeah, but somebody has to drive the truck. Are you volunteering Moffitt?"

"No, no, not me." The British sergeant threw up a hand. "I much prefer to ride in my jeep, thank you very much."

"Tully won't want to do it either; he doesn't like driving the trucks." Troy went on to explain. "That leaves Hitch." He looked at Moffitt with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Why don't you go tell him?"

Moffitt smiled slightly, the smell from the truck reaching his nose. "It's your idea, you tell him." Holding his nose, Moffitt climbed back into his jeep and had Tully move it upwind of the truck.

"Hitch!"

Mark Hitchcock slid out of his seat to answer Troy's call. He still looked slightly nauseous from loading the bodies. "Yeah Sarge?"

"You're driving the truck back to the base, I'll take our jeep."

Hitch stared at his sergeant for a moment without speaking.

"Is there a problem?"

"No Sarge. Somebody has to take them back so they can be sent home." Pulling a handkerchief from his pocket, Hitch tied it over his face before he approached the truck.

Troy smiled to himself; he'd have to find a way to make it up to his driver for giving him the grisly job of driving a closed up truck of decomposing bodies across miles of desert under a hot sun.

Starting the jeep, he led the way toward the British base to return their dead.


	2. Chapter 2

**The Value of Trust**

By: AliasCWN

Chapter 2

"And you actually saw the others in that German camp?"

"Yes Sir." Moffitt confirmed. "Private Pettigrew and I watched them for half an hour while they were milling about in the compound."

"You're sure that they were our men?"

"Yes Sir. You said that Captain Harrold was the convoy commander. I served with the Captain for nearly a year Major; I was able to recognize him, even from a distance. He was among the prisoners."

"Yes, Captain Harrold, I would hate to lose the Captain to the Germans. He is a fine officer with lots of experience." The Major straightened in his chair and looked up at Troy and Moffitt, who stood in front of his desk. "All right gentlemen, you have permission to try a rescue of the prisoners. Draw what supplies you will need from our stores. I'll have my clerk draw up the necessary forms." Once the clerk had been informed of what would be needed, the Major wished them luck.

The two sergeants saluted and left the office.

"Here are the forms you need." The Corporal said as he handed them the papers. "Do you know where to take them to get them filled?"

"Yes Corporal, we've been on and off this base enough to know our way around." Moffitt assured him.

"If they give you any problems have them call me and I will confirm the orders." The clerk told them before returning to his own paperwork.

"We'll do that." Troy assured him with a smirk. Meeting Moffitt's eyes, he smiled and shrugged at the abrupt dismissal from the corporal. Neither man looked back to notice the clerk watching them leave with a concerned look on his face. "Good luck guys." He mumbled under his breath as the two sergeants departed the building.

"In quite the hurry to get rid of us, wouldn't you say?" Moffitt smiled at Troy.

"So it seems." The American sergeant answered. "Maybe they just want us to get going and get their guys back."

"Some things just can't be rushed." Moffitt said softly. "You do know that they may be waiting for us?"

"Yeah, but it wouldn't be the first time. We won't go rushing in if that's what has you so worried."

"No, it's something else."

"Spill it Doctor, just what is bothering you?"

"I don't know exactly. Something seemed off with the prisoners. I don't know what it was, but there was definitely some tension in the air. Captain Harrold was wounded but his men didn't seem to be too concerned about him. It was almost as if they were avoiding him." Moffitt shook his head, puzzled.

"Let's get our supplies, collect Hitch and Tully, and go take another look. Maybe we can figure it out when we get there."

"Right. Tully and Hitch will most likely be with the jeeps. They haven't had time to make any friends around here and they wouldn't go off without permission anyway."

"Then let's go find the jeeps and get those supplies. I want to get an early start on this rescue. The Krauts probably won't keep those prisoners at the base for very long; they'll want to send them to a processing center."

Moffitt kept the rest of his thoughts to himself as he followed Troy to the motor pool. They found the privates waiting by the jeeps.

"Hitch, Tully, get the jeeps fueled up and ready to move out. Moffitt and I will go get the supplies we may need." Troy began issuing orders. "We'll be right back."

"Right Sarge." Hitch responded. Tully got to his feet and began to inventory their supplies.

"Sarge."

"Yeah Tully?"

"We could use more ammo for the 50's."

"Anything else?"

"Gas."

Troy handed Tully the forms for the gasoline. "We'll get the rest of the supplies while you and Hitch take care of the jeeps. I want to get out of here as soon as possible."

"Gotcha Sarge." Tully drawled.

The two privates were doing the last of their checks on the jeeps when the sergeants returned with the rest of the supplies.

"Get these stored and be ready to go." Troy told his privates. Hitch and Tully nodded and took the supplies and began storing them in the vehicles.

Moffitt pulled out their maps and began to plot the course back to the German camp. As Troy approached he raised his eyes to look the other sergeant in the eye. "Is something wrong?"

"No, Hitch and Tully are storing the supplies. Do you have the course plotted?"

"I think so." Moffitt nodded, dropping his gaze to the map. "If we use this old camel trail we can travel faster and avoid the open desert. We'll have to keep an eye out for Arab spies, but I don't really expect to run into any this far from the base."

Troy studied the map as Moffitt ran his finger along a dotted line across the desert. "You think they may have the trail watched closer to their base?" He raised his head to get an answer from Moffitt.

Moffitt nodded, nearly certain that that would be the case. "I think we are safe, at least to here." He pointed at a spot on the trail. "After that, we could run into German spies anywhere along the trail.

"That's going to slow us down." Troy answered with a frown.

"Not really." Moffitt continued. "I believe if we follow these hills, and stay close to the base, we may be able to slip past anyone watching the trail. Our jeeps don't make a lot of noise and we are able to navigate the rocky paths where heavier vehicles would have a difficult time. They may not be watching this area due to the lack of easy accessibility. We can leave the trail here, follow along the hills here, and approach the base from the opposite side. They won't be expecting us to approach from that direction. Maybe we can sneak in and surprise them that way."

Troy was grinning by the time that Moffitt got done explaining his plan. "You may just have something there Moffitt. We'll try it your way. Let's shake it."

The British sergeant stowed the maps under the seat of his jeep and took his usual seat. Tully climbed into the driver's seat and waited for Troy and Hitch to get settled.

"Lead the way Doctor." Troy called with a wave of his hand.

Tully hit the gas and his jeep, under Moffitt's guidance, led the way off the base toward the German compound.


	3. Chapter 3

**The Value of Trust**

By: AliasCWN

Chapter 3

"See what I mean?" Moffitt sprawled beside Troy and watched the German base through binoculars.

"Yeah, they sure don't act like they care how he's doing." Troy had watched Captain Harrold limp around the perimeter of the wire with no offer of help from his men."

"The guards don't look as if they expect any trouble; that at least, is in our favor." The British sergeant sighed as he watched the camp in the distance.

"They still have more guards than usual for the number of prisoners. Either the commander is paranoid or they're still expecting some sort of rescue attempt." Troy rolled onto his back to consider the problem.

"We could possibly call for an airstrike to distract them." Moffitt suggested, rolling onto his own back.

"No." Troy shook his head. "They'd hear them coming and increase the number of guards to avoid an escape attempt." The sergeant paused in thought. "We need a distraction, but it has to be something that will draw them away from the base, not cause them to draw together to defend it."

Moffitt began to smile as the gleam of an idea lit up Troy's eyes.

"Let's pull back a bit. I have an idea." Troy slid off the hill and ran for his jeep. Hitchcock saw him coming and straightened in his seat. "Move out, back the way we came." Troy commanded. Hitch nodded and began to retrace his own tracks with Tully's jeep right behind him.

The two jeeps moved slowly, not wanting to make a dust plume that could be spotted from the German base. Half an hour later, Troy called a halt, having Hitch pull into a wadi for cover. As the jeep engines cooled, Troy gathered his men to explain his plan.

"Hitch, Tully, you two are going to take a jeep and circle around the base. Moffitt and I will plant some explosives out in the desert we can set with timers. You two are going to draw the Germans out into the desert on your side of the camp. Keep them chasing you as long as you can. Be careful. Draw them away and then swing back and make a few strikes against them. Don't worry about doing a lot of damage; I don't want you to get too close, just keep them distracted and too busy to worry about the base. Moffitt and I will wait until you've engaged them, then we'll hit the base and free the prisoners. The timed explosives will go off, giving the Krauts something else to worry about while we get the prisoners clear." Troy waited for both privates to acknowledge the order. "Any questions?"

"No Sarge." They answered in unison.

"All right," he continued, "once we get the prisoners clear, Moffitt will give them a map to follow back to our lines. I'll shoot up a flare, watch for it. That's the signal to break off contact and rejoin us. We'll give the prisoners as much protection as possible. The explosives should keep the Germans close to the base until they know for sure what they are up against. That should give us a head start. If they send a column after us we'll deal with it like we do any other column we encounter. Any questions?"

No one spoke as he looked around at the circle of faces watching him.

"All right, Tully, you drive. Hitch, take the 50. Get their attention and keep it, no heroics, just keep them busy. I'll set the charges for forty-five minutes from now."

"Got it Sarge." Hitch acknowledged. Tully nodded and headed for his jeep. "You guys be careful too." Hitch cautioned in a worried tone.

"We'll see you in a bit." Moffitt smiled at Hitch as Troy nodded and turned away.

With a burst of sound, and sand flying from the wheels, the two jeeps parted company.

Tully made a wide circle around the base, driving slowly, giving Moffitt and Troy plenty of time to reach their position and plant the timed explosives. He watched the time on his watch, knowing Troy would set the charges for the predetermined time. The Germans needed to be away from the base before the charges detonated.

Tully drew up within sight of the base. Hitch readied the 50, clearing the chamber and removing the dust cover.

"I'm going to try to sneak in closer Hitch. If they spot us, maybe they'll think we're trying to get closer for an attack."

The blond nodded, popping a bubble and chewing his gum vigorously in preparation for blowing another bubble. The dusty goggles over his eyes hid most of his expression, but his body was relaxed, ready for action.

"Here goes." Tully warned as he eased the jeep forward. Creeping toward the base, he tried to stay partially hidden by any natural cover that presented itself. They covered a hundred yards, then another hundred. Tully was beginning to think that they might actually make it all the way to the perimeter without being spotted.

A shout from one of the guards announced their presence. Bullets began to hit the ground all around them. Tully spun the wheel and beat a hasty retreat back out into the desert.

Hitch clung to the 50 as the jeep bounced over the same dips and bumps they had crawled over moments before. He held his fire since, as yet, no one had taken up the chase.

Tully continued on his set course until they were out of range of the guards rifles. Rolling to a stop, he glanced over his shoulder at Hitchcock. "What are you waiting for, a special invitation?" He eyed the big gun meaningfully.

"I thought I would wait until I had something worthwhile to shoot." The blond replied, leaning back and swinging the muzzle of the 50 into position. The big gun began to chatter, throwing spent shell casings over Tully's shoulder.

Tully glanced toward the base and mouthed an oath around his matchstick. The Germans had dispatched several halftracks to run them down. As the armored vehicles cleared the base, they opened fire on the jeep, sending sand and shrapnel flying all around it. Tully stepped on the gas and got them out of there while Hitch returned fire. The drivers of the halftracks immediately gave chase. Despite being heavier and slower, the drivers closed the distance between the two forces. The gunners kept up a steady stream of fire going in both directions.

One of the halftracks lurched to a stop as the bullets from the jeep killed the driver. The body was shoved aside to be replaced by another soldier to resume the chase.

The jeep circled back at seeing one of the halftracks pulling away from its companion. Tully ran at the lone halftrack, giving Hitch a clear shot at its occupants. Bullets raked the heavy vehicle above the armored sides, killing most of the crew and leaving the rest wounded. Only the driver missed being hit. Realizing that he was the only one still functioning, he turned back toward the base.

Tully again headed for the open desert as bullets pinged off the frame of his jeep. Shells fell around them as he surged away, leaving the Germans to follow them again. The second halftrack pushed to catch up, passing the vehicle returning to the base. Two more armored vehicles left the base to join the battle. Several patrol cars raced to circle around the fleeing jeep while it was preoccupied by the halftracks.

Tully saw the patrol cars and angled his jeep to avoid the trap they were setting. He called to Hitch, drawing his attention to their action. As Hitch spun the 50, Tully headed directly for the two cars, unsettling their drivers. The jeep darted between the two cars with Hitch hitting one of the cars with a steady stream of bullets. He killed the entire crew before blowing the gas tank. The soldiers in the second car hesitated to fire, fearful of hitting their own men in the other car. Hitch spun around to target them even as they turned away to shield their eyes from the fiery explosion. Their own patrol car burst into flames as the bullets ignited the fumes in their fuel tank.

Darting away from the burning vehicles, Tully took evasive action as the halftracks tried to catch them in a pinscher movement. The shells rocked the tiny jeep as sand and rock rained down on the two privates. The smoke from the burning vehicles acted as a smoke screen to hide their movement. Tully scanned the sky for the signal flare before engaging the halftracks again. Not seeing the anticipated signal, he spun the wheel and led the Germans on another round of their deadly game.

By now the Germans were beginning to understand the rules of the conflict. They realized that the nimble jeep was not going to stand and fight, so they tried to force it into a position where they had the advantage. Two of the halftracks pushed ahead while the third held back. The third one tried to push the jeep to make a run between the other two. Tully, seeing their intent instead made a run at the lone halftrack.

The crew of the lone halftrack realized too late what the Americans had in mind. Hitch kept the gunners preoccupied as Tully drove past, tossing a grenade into the rear of the halftrack as he drove alongside. The resulting explosion rendered the halftrack immobile and decimated its crew.

With two more armored vehicles still in the game, Tully chose to run once more. He kept the undivided attention of the crews as he led them further out into the desert. The battle now became a matter of speed and aim. Tully had the speed but the Germans came up short on the aim. The angry crews failed to hit the dodging little bug of a vehicle despite their best efforts.

Hitch yelled to Tully as a bright flare shot up from the other side of the base. Tully quit playing with the German vehicles, instead getting serious about losing his pursuit. They quickly outdistanced the heavier vehicles, making a large circle to rejoin their sergeants.

Troy and Moffitt met them well clear of the base on the other side. Hitch surrendered the 50 to Moffitt as Troy left the driver's seat to reclaim his own gun. Dropping into the driver's seat, he followed Tully's jeep along the path that Moffitt had marked for the escaping prisoners. The tracks of several large trucks led in a straight line from the German base toward the British one. Tully and Hitch followed the tracks as the sergeants kept their eyes out for the German reaction to their attack on the base and the freeing of the prisoners.


	4. Chapter 4

**The Value of Trust**

By: AliasCWN

Chapter 4

The Germans had not managed to mount any serious pursuit of the escaping prisoners; only three halftracks had followed them, and the Rat Patrol had effectively discouraged them with their own brand of 'hell on earth'. The German commander had reconsidered his actions and ordered his unit to return to base. As darkness began to fall, Troy had Hitch catch up to the trucks so they could find a place to camp for the night. Moffitt found a wadi that could accommodate them all and he led them in.

The fight broke out after most of the men had retired for the night.

Troy and Moffitt hurried to break it up, worried about the noise carrying to unfriendly ears. Other soldiers were already pulling the two angry men apart, holding them back before the argument could come to blows.

"What's going on here?" Troy demanded. He kept his voice low but his eyes flashed angrily at the lack of discipline. "We're not the only ones out here you know. Do you want to alert every Arab and Kraut for miles?"

"Really Sergeant, sound doesn't carry that far, even in the desert." Captain Harrold limped up behind Troy to defend his men.

"Maybe not the shouting Captain, but if it had come to shooting, we'd all be in trouble." Troy glared at the two men who had caused the disturbance. Each man had been holding a rifle when the argument started. Other soldiers had disarmed them when the shouting began.

"These men are friends Sergeant; they would never resort to settling an argument with weapons." Captain Harrold was quick to defend his men.

"Maybe not Captain," Troy growled, "but as long as we're your escorts, I'd appreciate it if they would keep the noise down."

"Of course Sergeant, you are correct about the dangers."

Troy saluted the Captain, glared at the two soldiers, and returned to his own bed.

Moffitt stayed behind, watching the men interact with the Captain. There was a definite uneasiness among their ranks.

The Captain appeared not to notice or to dismiss it altogether. He spoke quietly to the sergeant who held one of the men, telling him to restore order and get the troops settled for the night. The sergeant saluted and turned to carry out the order as the Captain limped back to his own bedroll.

Moffitt watched him go with a frown on his face. The British troops grumbled among themselves but kept their voices low, eying Moffitt as they began to break up the gathering and return to their own blankets. Puzzled, Moffitt rejoined Troy, the frown still on his face.

"They were arguing about the Captain. Some of them think that he was hiding under that truck because he was scared. The others want to give him the benefit of the doubt." Mark Hitchcock was sitting beside their own small fire the next morning telling his sergeants what he had overheard just before the fight broke out the previous night. "I was on watch on the hill behind them and I guess they didn't realize that I was there. When they started to get loud I was going to tell them to quiet down but their friends jumped in and broke up the argument."

"Exactly what did they say Hitch?" Moffitt asked quietly.

The blond repeated the conversation as best he could remember it. "That's not word for word Sarge, but you get the idea."

"Yes, I'm afraid that I do indeed get the idea." The Brit replied, his eyes seeking out the Captain among the men gathered around the other fire. "Perhaps I should have a word with Captain Harrold."

"Stay out of it Moffitt." Troy commanded. "That's between him and his men; they're going to have to work it out themselves."

"Troy, I knew Captain Harrold before the war. I served under him while he was still a lieutenant. Never once did I have any reason to question his bravery. I admit, I lost track of him after he made captain, but I have no doubt that his is still the same man." Moffitt tried to explain, hoping Troy would understand his need to speak with Captain Harrold.

"That may be true Moffitt," Troy agreed, "but you aren't serving with him now, they are, and they are the ones who need to trust him. And no matter how much you want to help, they are the ones who will have to work this out."

"I understand that Troy, but I'm not sure that the Captain even realizes that he has a problem."

Troy shrugged. "If he doesn't realize that something is wrong, then maybe he shouldn't be in command. A blind man could tell there's something going on here." Troy smiled at his friend. "Just don't get too involved."

Moffitt nodded, his thoughts already turning toward just how he could approach the Captain. The solution presented itself during a stop to cool the engines when he spotted the Captain sitting alone by one of the trucks.

"Permission to speak with you Captain." The men had gathered in some shade away from the vehicles. Troy was on watch while Tully and Hitch serviced the jeeps. There was no one else within hearing of the officer.

The Captain watched as the privates refueled the jeeps. When they finished, they checked the trucks. He jerked as Moffitt approached and spoke, pulling his attention back to the moment. Turning toward Moffitt, he smiled and motioned for the sergeant to take a seat.

"What is it Sergeant? I'd call you Jack, but it wouldn't do for the troops to hear us using first names. You understand, I hope."

"Yes Sir, I do." Moffitt paused, not sure how to begin.

"Out with it Sergeant, after all, we are old friends." The Captain smiled encouragingly while absently rubbing his wounded leg.

"Is your leg bothering you Captain?"

The Captain eyed Moffitt curiously. "Come now Sergeant, that's not really what you came to talk about, is it?"

"No Sir."

"Then out with it man, your Sergeant Troy is going to want to resume our journey before much longer."

"The fight last night Captain." Moffitt blurted out, his face reddening under his tan.

"What about it Sergeant? It was just two men having a disagreement."

"Yes Sir, over you Captain. Apparently some of your men are questioning what you were doing under that truck."

The Captain went still, his face frozen in a half amused expression. "And you think I was hiding, is that it?" His voice was low and controlled as he faced Moffitt.

"I wasn't there Captain. I don't know what happened. All I can say is that some of your men are asking why you were under that truck. That is what started the argument last night."

"Do you think I was hiding?"

"I have served with you Captain and I have never had a reason to question your courage. But as someone pointed out, I am no longer serving under you, so my opinion does not matter. Some of your men are asking questions, that's all I am saying."

"I was trying to call for help Sergeant." The Captain explained after a pause. "I thought if I could contact the base, maybe they could send some reinforcements. Our radio man was dead so I decided to make the call myself."

"Your radio was dead too Sir." Moffitt softly reminded him. "Your men all said that they had tried and failed to get a message through earlier."

"That's true Sergeant, but I thought that maybe it just wasn't receiving, maybe it was still sending. I knew it was a long shot but it was the only option we had at that point. I sent a distress call, hoping that someone would hear it."

"Have you explained that to your men?"

"No Sergeant, I haven't. As you well know, the men need to follow orders, not question them. I don't have to explain my actions to any of them." The Captain's voice rose in indignation as he explained himself to Moffitt.

"That may be true Sir," Moffitt told him quietly, "but trust is a delicate thing. One thing I have learned since joining this team, trust can be a powerful thing. Knowing each other, our strengths and our weaknesses, has benefited us immensely, but I think it's the absolute trust that we have in each other that seals the bond. It makes us stronger, it gives us our edge."

"Are you suggesting that I bond with each and every man under my command Sergeant?" The Captain asked in astonishment.

"No, of course not Captain, you've missed my point. The men form a bond; the non-coms need to know the men. You, as the leader, need to know their strengths and weaknesses, what they are capable of doing and their limitations. You may never truly get to know all of them, and no one expects that of you. What I am saying is, they need to feel that they can trust you as their leader. Otherwise they may follow your orders, but without that trust, that's all that they are doing, following orders. They won't go the extra mile; they'll do their job and no more."

Captain Harrold eyed Moffitt as he processed the sergeant's argument. "You may have a point there Sergeant." He grudgingly admitted. "It's easy enough to see the bond you've formed with your team. It shows in all the little things that you do without even thinking about it. Is that the secret to your success?"

Moffitt glanced toward Tully and Hitch as they returned the now empty gas cans to their proper places.

"They are excellent soldiers. They were a good team before I joined them, but yes, I'd say that trust is a big factor."

Captain Harrold nodded, his eyes on his own men. "I'll give it some thought Sergeant, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to explain my actions just this once. I would need to figure out how to bring up the subject without sounding defensive."

"Good luck Captain." Moffitt smiled, saluted, and returned to his jeep. He was checking the ammunition for the 50 when Troy walked up behind him.

"Get it all settled?"

Moffitt spun to face Troy, ready to defend his decision to talk with the Captain. To his surprise, Troy seemed more amused than displeased.

"I hope so."

"You can only do so much; they have to work this out between themselves Jack, you can't do it for them."

"I know."

"Do you think he'll be able to win back their trust?" Troy eyed the officer sitting by himself.

"I don't know Sam; it sounds like he's willing to try. He was always a good soldier and a fine officer. I hope it works out for him."

"You did all you could, time to move out." Troy called to the others to 'mount up'.

With a final glance at the Captain, who was pulling himself into the front of his truck, Moffitt settled into his jeep.

Troy yelled, "Move out!" The two jeeps leapt ahead of the trucks, searching the desert for any potential problems. With the base only a few hours away, with any luck, they would soon be safe and the ex-prisoners would no longer be their responsibility.


End file.
